Tough Love

A few weeks ago I was invited to go see a movie. I was expecting buttery popcorn and a subpar film that would put me to sleep. (That’s usually what happens when I go to the movies). However, I was surprised at how interested I would be in this film.

               “Woodlawn”, the movie that we saw, is about heavy racism in Alabama. So here is just a short summary of the film (sorry if you’re planning on seeing it I’ll try not to say too much): It’s the story of a football team, made up primarily of white players, who has to overcome adversity and more importantly, the barrier between their races. Woodlawn (name of the high school) has a very gifted player who sadly does not get to utilize his gift at first due to the fact that he is black. Racism is obviously not only an issue on this football team; it saturated throughout their school, community, and state. The coaching staff understands that there needs to be a desperate change, and thankfully, an outsider does too.

               A stranger walks into Woodlawn one day and actually ends up converting practically the whole team. During this scene, these young men devote themselves to Christ and to doing their best to look at others as actual human beings instead of a certain color.

               Although the team is trying their best to spark a change, it does not happen overnight, nor does it come easy. Slowly, but surely, however, outsiders start to notice this change within the team, and wonder how on earth this even came about.

               The movie itself is a Christian movie, and is VERY inspirational. I strongly recommend seeing it considering everything that is happening in our world today.

               There was a certain line in the movie that really stood out to me.

               “If you only love those who love you back, what kind of love is that?”

This quote lingered in my mind the rest of the movie, and has definitely been on the back burner of my mind sense then. So I thought, why not bring this bad boy to the front burner!!

               I think….I know we all struggle with this. It’s easy to love people who are nice, kind, considerate, and thoughtful. It’s easy to love our family (sometimes), friends, and teammates (again…sometimes). But what about those who maybe, don’t have the same views as us? Or better yet, those who maybe, don’t even like us?

               I know I definitely struggle with this and I was majorly convicted of this when I got back from Haiti. It was so easy to love those kids over there. They had nothing, but were still so sweet, innocent, and loving. Even if they were little punks, you wouldn’t even care because they just made your heart so full.

               When I got home, I found myself coming very close to strangling a little nugget who I watch for a family friend. (Not really, but I was definitely about to lose my temper).

               I caught myself and asked, why was it so easy to love those Haitian children, but so hard for me to love you right now? I should be giving the same love to you that I gave to them, despite your actions or my feelings.

That’s what we’re called to do, right?

I’ve noticed it since I moved up here as well. It’s hard for me to love the lady taking forever in the checkout line. It’s hard for me to love the man who almost rear ended me this morning. It’s EXTREMLEY hard for me to love some of the people at Mizzou right now.

Better yet, it’s hard, almost impossible, for blacks to love the white man who posted that he was going to kill black people.

But yet I think it’s our job to. That kind of unconditional love has graciously been given to us, so it is our job to give it back to others. No matter how hard it is.

               I’m no saint; I continuously struggle with this. However, I’m asking you guys to join me in this. This weekend and following week, I challenge you (trust me it will be a challenge) to love someone who is very hard to love.

I was journaling the other day about this topic and the following came to my mind:

We all have the desire to be loved and an obligation to love others.

We're all the same. We all want to be loved, some of us just have different mechanisms of trying to achieve it.

We're all the same